‘The Expendables 3′: Will Mel Gibson Play the Villain?

Sylvester Stallone floated the possibility of Mel Gibson directing The Expendables 3 to his followers on Twitter, but the Oscar-winning actor/filmmaker – who was responsible for making the bloody ancient history epics Braveheart and Apocalypto – was always considered a long-shot. Hence, it came as little to no surprise when Sly announced that Gibson is “living his own life” and had decided to pass on the chance to call shots for Sly’s latest macho action throwback.

However, we’re now hearing (unconfirmed) claims that Mad Mel isn’t above playing a role in the third Expendables installment; in fact, he may be lined to become the third central antagonist – played by a seasoned actor – in the (ironically) young franchise’s history, following in the footsteps of Eric Roberts in the first movie and Jean-Claude Van Damme from the sequel.

Showbiz 411 has the exclusive on this Expendables 3 casting possibility, but the site’s report emphasizes that there has been no official confirmation from either Camp Stallone or Lionsgate (… yet); nevertheless, the source behind this claim “seemed serious.” (Translation: You should probably take this story with a grain of salt.)

Many of our readers have been calling for Gibson to face off against Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and the rest of their (aging) badass squad in this third installment; so, anything that lends more credibility to that (maybe) happening, should be received as welcome news. The Lethal Weapon and Mad Max star would certainly be a fitting – and welcome – addition to this testonsterone-fueled “barbecue.”

Mel clearly isn’t adverse to appearing in more pulpy and campy material, seeing how he will play a madman billionaire – hell-bent on spreading anarchy across the globe – in Machete Kills later this year. However, his directorial efforts tend to be more personal and artistic in nature (see: his gestating Viking epic Berserker), which accounts for him being more selective with his career decisions as a director.

That would also explain why Gibson might agree to costarring in Expendables 3, despite having little interest in taking the helm on Stallone’s tongue-in-cheek explosion festival. Similarly, Gibson should have fun – and be fun to watch – playing the wild and crazy baddie in a movie that will include Nicolas Cage chewing the scenery, Resident Evil gal Milla Jovovich hanging with the boys, and new-addition martial artists Jackie Chan and Wesley Snipes – proving they’re not ready for retirement just yet.